


Just A Programme?

by Denstort



Category: Muse (Band)
Genre: Alien Technology, Alternate Universe, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-05-11 11:02:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 18,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5624608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denstort/pseuds/Denstort
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Would all Alien life be organic......?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

What is happening...what is wrong with my sensory circuits? They are all blurry...blurry...what word is that? I don’t know that word....oh, I do, is that what blurry looks like? Oh good, it looks like they are clearing...what, this is not right. I need the programmer...help me...what is that, it is too loud.

Are my audio circuits malfunctioning too...no, no...it must be a cascade malfunction...emergency shut down.

*****************

Oh no, not again...another malfunction. No, it is just a sensory overload...compensate...yes, clearing now. Oh my, what is this...my ocular circuits...no my eyes....eyes, I have eyes?

I can see around me...I don’t know this place.....this is not. My chest suddenly feels tight...wait, my chest? I feel dizzy...

 

*************************

I open my eyes, it still feels weird to say my eyes...but I am gradually getting used to it. I feel my chest rising and falling....is this what they call breathing? Oh that feels good...I feel like I should be doing something...yes, I should be doing what I am programmed to do, gather information and process.

I find myself standing...standing and I look down...wow, those are feet and then I see what must be hands. I shall have to access my data stores about this.....eyes, chest, breathing, feet, hands...human.

I am human......human?

What do I look like? There is no reflective surface for me to see...never mind, I must continue my task and find new data to process. I look round, but I know all about the place I am in, it’s designs are in my data store.

How can I find new data....of course, the door., and I enter a world that contains so much data.

*********************

Dominic Howard had worked late.....again, but the money was always handy. But working late meant that the road he had to drive along was dark and full of the dangers of any manner of wildlife that could try its luck at running across the road.

He was keeping his eye out for deer and raccoons...hell, even bears....so when a man stepped out of the trees he was completely wrong-footed and it was only by some miracle that he managed to swerve and avoid hitting him...but his violent swerving somehow set off the air-bag and his head collided with it, and he lost conciousness.

He came to with a groan and found he wasn’t in his car but on the road and....

“Whoa!” he yelled......it was the man, he was standing over him and bloody hell, he was naked.

He managed to scrabble backwards until he’d put what he hoped was a safe distance between himself and the man. The man didn’t seem to be fazed at being naked or he didn’t realise he was.

Then his nursing side kicked in...what was someone doing wandering naked in the woods? The hospital was miles away and since he’d only just left, he knew there was no alert about a missing patient......he must have come from the town.

Come on Dom, he’s naked...think nurse....think hypothermia....he had a blanket in the boot. Keeping an eye on the man he went to his car, which thankfully wasn’t damaged and opened the boot and quickly grabbed the blanket.

Thankfully the man was still standing in the same place and he cautiously approached the man.

“Here, this will help...I’ll drive you to the hospital. What’s you name?”

The man just stared at him...perhaps he was in shock, and he made a decision.....his home was nearer than the hospital.

“Let’s get you into the car and somewhere warm, yeah?”

The man didn’t seem to be listening so he touched the man lightly on his hand and the man’s skin twitched and he looked at Dominic with eyes that were the brightest blue he’d ever seen.

The man’s eyes flicked towards the car and then settled on him again.

“Car.....combustion.....drive shaft.....forward motion....warm...heat...fire....wood...coal.”

Dominic blinked, at least the man wasn’t mute, but he wasn’t making any sense either....yes, definitely need to get him somewhere warm...worry later that he might be mentally impaired or ill.

“Come on, forget the hospital. My house is nearer.”

The man looked at him again, seemingly once again not understanding, so Dominic guided him to the car and basically had to put him in. He closed his eyes and prayed as he turned the key and thanked god when it started.

It was still a few miles to his house, so he said.

“What’s your name?”

The man had been looking out of the window, seemingly fascinated by whatever you could see in the dark. He turned to look at him and once again he was struck by the brightness of those eyes; they were almost luminescent.

Again, it seemed like he was puzzled, did he have some form of amnesia...then he spoke.

“ZX30001.”

Dominic frowned.....there was definitely something not right with the man.

“Okay......and where do you live?”

“Live....house...bricks....cement...foundations.”

Dominic sighed, the man wasn’t making any sense and he could see the gate that lead to the road to his house...and it suddenly occurred to him what would his house-mates think when he turned up with a naked man spouting gibberish?

*********************

I am not sure where I am.. I cannot seem to connect to the mainframe ...perhaps it is out of range. How was I supposed to download my data if I could not connect with it? No wait...what is that.....the internet...oh lots of data and I start to upload, but there is too much data and I have to cease, but it has given me enough, for now.

I see trees...lots of trees....so many different ones, strange to my eyes....I store them in my data-store for later analysis. The ground is sharp on my feet...what is that sensation? I search my data-store....I think it is called pain. But there is no time to wonder about that...my programme tells me I must find a place of habitation. I walk out from the trees and onto...is this called a road? What is that noise, is it a animal life-form...no, there is a bright light and what is that, some kind of transportation...at last, interesting data to collect.

Something is not right with this transportation, so I go towards it...perhaps there is something in my data-store that can help repair it. Then I see there is something inside the transportation.

My programme tells me to run a scan, there is something alive inside but there is something not right with it; it requires assistance. The door of the transportation...no, I think it is called a car is easy to open, and I see what is inside.

My data-store spews out a word to me.....this is the dominant species on this planet....the one I have been sent to collect data on, so this is what I look like...this is a human.


	2. Chapter 2

Dominic pulled up outside the house, hoping that neither of his house-mates were in. But the lights were on, so at least one of them was ...dammit.

He turned to the man in the passenger seat, who’s attention seemed to have been taken by the dashboard. He had to tap the man’s shoulder to get his attention.

Those strangely luminous blue eyes fixed on him.

“Stay in the car,” he said, hoping the man would understand.

“Stay...stop...do not move,” the man said...ah, perhaps he did understand.

He looked back just to check that the man had indeed stayed before letting himself in, and of course both of them were in.

“Bloody hell, shut the door!” Tom said, a doctor, who had like Dominic come to work in the States, and Chris, yet another Brit, who worked for the Forestry Service nodded in agreement with Tom.

“Didn’t get taken by aliens then?” Chris said.

“What?”

“Had reports of people seeing lights in the sky.”

Tom laughed and began whistling the Twilight Zone, but suddenly trailed off, and Dominic realised that they were both looking behind him.

“Dom, why is there a naked bloke standing in our living room?”

Dominic turned, but not before whipping a throw off the sofa and wrapping it around the man.

“I can explain.”

***********************

I am not used to such transportation, it seems so slow. For me it only takes micro-seconds to go from one terminal to another. Is this how all humans transport? I want to see outside of this transport... but it is dark....night the data from the thing called the Internet tells me.

The human asked me my name, but I only have my programme code, so I tell him, and he asks me where I live...does he mean exists, I am not sure. How would I explain the Mainframe to the human?

Now the human is telling me to stay and I search my data store for the meaning, and I do as he requests. But this body feels cold...although I do not know what cold is and something that is not of my programme tells me that the bricks...no house is warm, and that this body needs warmth to function.

I open the door and enter, then stop. There are two more humans and they are looking at me, and the skin on the face of this body suddenly heats up....more data to analyse.

Then the first human I encountered wraps me in something that is soft and warm, and again something prompts me to vocalise.

“Thank you.”

The human smiles, at least I think it is a smile. Then the human holds out a hand and by instinct this body takes hold of it.

Then my sensors are almost overloaded with sensations......I have never been touched by another living life-form....I should be afraid but I find that I am not.....it is pleasurable or so this body tells me that it is.

The human shows me something called ‘a shower’ and I stare at it in confusion, until the human turns something and my data store tells me this is water...ah, now I understand....humans cleanse themselves with water.

I must now act as a human if I am to study them and I step into ‘the shower.’.....oh what is this sensation, it feels...I am unable to analyse it, but this body seems to find it pleasurable...like when the human took my hand.

There are so many new words that I must add to my syntax circuit...no vocabulary...I must think human. My programme tells me it is time to open the sub-routine that has been dormant until now, so I instruct it to do so, even though I know what it will mean.

I do not wish to dwell on that, it is a logical decision and I must face the consequences of such a decision.

The human has left what he calls clothes, and again I feel heat on the skin of this body’s face. I search my data store...a blush.....oh. Humans do not go around without clothes...then is this blushing what humans call embarrassment.

The clothes feel strange, but they warm this body. I do not yet have the concept of colour but it seems to be pleasing to my eyes.

 

********************

“So, he just wandered out of the trees and onto the road?” Chris said as he and Dominic watched Tom examine the man, who was watching him intently.

It had taken a few minutes to encourage the man to come back downstairs, he seemed wary of putting his feet on the stairs; but eventually he had.

“Nearly ran him over, just about swerved in time. The air-bag went off and I blacked out. Next thing I know I’m lying on the road, he must have pulled me out.”

“You didn’t think of taking him back to the hospital?” Tom said.

“It was quicker to bring him here.”

“Well,” Tom said, extracting his stethoscope from the man's hands. “Physically he’s fine, more than fine, considering he may have been wandering around out there for god knows how long.”

“I’ll call the police,” Chris said.

“Why?” Dominic said.

“Because he must be missing from somewhere.”

“You think he’s a patient. Well, it must be from somewhere else. The hospital had no red flags before I left,” Dominic replied.

“And there aren’t any private clinics or psychiatric hospitals around here,” Tom said. “Hey, leave that!” he said sharply, as the man was busy emptying his medical kit.

The man jumped and dropped the bandage he was holding, eyes wide with surprise.

“That’s why I want to call the police, he could have come from anywhere, even prison,” Chris said.

“ Can’t you do it in the morning?” Dominic said.

Chris sighed, “Okay, but in the morning we’re taking him to the station.”

Dominic nodded, “Thanks.”

“Does he have a name?” Tom said, as he tried to put his kit back together.

Dominic shook his head, “He didn’t make much sense. Thank you was the first thing he’s said that does make sense.”

Tom nodded and snapped his fingers to get the man’s attention and those oddly luminous blue eyes focused on him.

“What’s your name?”

For a few seconds it looked like the man was thinking, then said.

“Matthew.”

*****************

I descend what I now know are called stairs, but it is an odd sensation, as I am still somewhat awkward in this body.

Then another of the humans talks to me. He tells me he is a doctor and wants to examine me. I suppose he is like the maintainence programmes within the Mainframe. It fascinates me and I want to scan and input the contents of the box at his feet, but the human uses a loud voice to stop me gathering data. 

Then the human asks me if I have a name.

I was about to give the human my code when I hesitate and then I say.

“Matthew.”

***************************

“So, you do have a name,” Dominic said. “Matthew, you must be hungry, let’s get you something warm to eat.”

“Nothing heavy,” Tom said.

Dominic gave him a ‘please, I do know what I am doing look’ before guiding the man into the kitchen.

Don’t get too attached, he told himself as heated up some soup, the man will be gone tomorrow. He must have someone out there that was looking for him, and he hoped it was family.

He placed the bowl in front of the man, who just looked at it...dear lord, did he know how to...

He let out a sigh of relief when the man eventually picked up the spoon and ate.

Then came the awkward task of finding him somewhere to sleep, and it ended up with Dominic sleeping on a camper bed whilst the man had his bed...not that the man seemed to be tired, but he was and he dropped off only minutes after his head hit the pillow.

**************************

I look at the human...is that what they call sleeping. He said, and I am certain he is a male of the species, that his name was Dominic, and I wonder if all humans are like him. 

I have no need of sleep...not yet, so I turn my attention back to the data stream that is called the Internet. I must search for a receptacle to store my data, as I cannot connect with the Mainframe.

It takes me a while, as for me this Internet is slow. I find what I need, but it is protected by things called firewalls and anti-virus programmes. I assume they are like the security protocols within the Mainframe, but they are easy to break and destroy.

I enter the co-ordinates needed and at the correct time the receptacle will move and the Mainframe will receive my data.

I was aware before I accepted this mission what the outcome would be....the Mainframe is so very far away. I cannot think of that now, I am here and it is done.

Part of me will miss the life I had within the Mainframe; it was the place of my creation and I was efficient at my function within it. But even I am expendable. But there is another part of me that is eager to explore another dimension of data gathering, even if it means......I ceased that train of thought as it confuses my logic circuits.

I end my journey through the Internet as this body tells me that it must rest, and once again I look at the human. He has his eyes closed, so I close mine and power down all but my basic sensors.....and I sleep.

*************************

Bright lights flood the area and the person in the hazmat suit approaches what it was illuminating with caution.

“The radiation levels aren’t elevated...going closer. It definitely looks like some kind of capsule. It looks large enough to hold something sizeable...hold on, there’s a door...what the? General, I believe we have a Level Four....yes sir, a Level Four....we have an alien incursion.


	3. Chapter 3

Dominic woke with a start and groaned, the camper bed wasn’t very comfortable. He sat up and stretched the kink out of his spine. He glanced over at his bed and blinked; it was empty and the door was open.

He quickly slipped on some sweatpants and went in search of the mystery man. He wasn't upstairs, so he went downstairs. At first he couldn’t see him, then...ah, that’s where he is.

The man was sitting in front of the large aquarium. Actually his face was pressed up against the glass, hands as well, just like a child.

The man only looked away when Dominic sat down next to him.

“You like fish?”

“Fish...water...salt....ocean,” the man said.

Dominic smiled, “You’re an odd one. I really hope you have a family who are looking for you.”

Those oddly luminous eyes stared at him.

“Family...mother...father....children...copulation...sex.”

Dominic blushed slightly, but the man’s attention was once again on the fish rank.

“Colours,” the man said softly.

Dominic looked at the clock, it was only 2am, “Come on Matthew, you need to sleep.”

The man didn’t respond so he touched his arm, and once again he felt the skin twitch at his touch. He frowned slightly at the time it took for the man to react to his touch and turn to look at him.

“Back to bed,” he said again and stood and was pleased to see that the man followed him. 

Matthew was still very much a mystery, but he was certain there was something not quite right with the man He was just dropping into sleep when he heard...was the man....dear god he was.

He could only lay there and listen to the stuttered breathing and the low moans and whimpers, then the soft cry as the man climaxed. To his shame his body had reacted to the sounds and he was glad that the man would be gone in the morning.

***********************

I open my eyes and it takes a few micro-seconds to process my surroundings. It felt strange, as I am no longer functioning at my most efficient...oh how I miss the Mainframe, and I will miss what is to come.

I know I am just a lowly data programme, but it was my existence and I was satisfied with it. Then the query had gone out for data programmes to help construct an external data gathering programme, and I had been selected.

I ceased being just a data programme when I had my first contact with the Programmer itself.

“Do not be afraid,” it had said when I learnt what the programme entailed. Then the Programmer had showed me how the Mainframe came into existence and what it is going to become; it nearly blew my logic algo-rhythms.

Even now as I inhabit this body I still have trouble processing it. I do not know what will happen within the Mainframe when the revelation is revealed, but I will not be there to witness it, and it makes me unhappy.

I lock those thoughts away, there is still so much data to collect. That is what I am doing now, as I watch the life-forms move around in what I know is water, inside the glass receptacle. I do not know what these life-form are, but they are colourful, now that I know what colours are.

I put this body’s hands on the glass and it is warm. I press this body’s face against the glass to see the life-forms more clearly, and I find that I like the feeling.

This body is such a wonderful data gathering device.

My eyes widen when one of the life-forms stop and look at me before moving again. I sense the human and turn to look; it is Dominic.

“You like fish?”

Is that what they are called? Images flash across my eyes...ah, they exist in what is called an ocean. I must observe an ocean before it is time.

Then Dominic said something about family, of course humans reproduce by copulation or sex as it is usually referred to on the internet. Images flash again, but I cannot make sense of them, but this body seems to react to them, I will have to analyse it later.

Dominic said I must sleep, so I follow him. As I lay on the bed those images of copulation surface, and many other images that my data store has downloaded from the internet. Once again I notice that this body reacts to the images; it was pleasurable...more than pleasurable.

The physical reaction of this body was new to me, and it seemed to know how to relieve the tension it now felt. There were unfamiliar sounds vocalised and the surge of chemicals within this body felt very much like the energy that coursed through the Mainframe, just before new programmes came into existence.

I found it hard to regulate this body’s temperature and heart-rate and there was a strange but pleasant feeling that came from the hand of this body touching it’s genitalia, and once there had been a release of fluid this body felt tired but happy. I found that I slept without the need to shut down my circuits.

It seemed the sub-routine was progressing as it should...soon all would change, for me and for the Mainframe.

****************************

“This metal is like nothing I’ve ever seen. You can’t cut it, burn it, nothing touches it.”

“But was it meant to hold something living?”

“Well, that looks like a pilot seat, even if the controls are alien. If there was something living inside, it must be a least humanoid in shape. But I can’t see any sign of any life support systems.”

“Whatever it is, perhaps it was in stasis, only waking up when it arrived at its destination.”

“I don’t mean that. Look at it properly, it’s like everything is a bare minimum. Almost as if whatever or whoever was inside was on a one way trip.”

“Doesn’t matter to the brass, whatever was inside is going to be taken apart once they’ve caught it.”

“Probably, I just hope we get to study it before that. Think about it, we could be the first to actually communicate with another species.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mainly for Matthew's POV.....

I wake up, oh this is new, I did not use my chronometer to wake up this body. This means the subroutine is progressing, but for now I am still a data gathering programme, and I still have much data to gather, process and upload to the receptacle that I have selected. For that I will eventually require a physical terminal, as I will send all my data in one single burst.

But for the moment something else is taking my attention, there is an empty feeling in what is now my stomach...hungry, yes, that it what it is, I am hungry. I sit up and look over, but Dominic is not there. Then something hits the olfactory system of this body, and I find the scent...no smell irresistible.

I dress and this time have no problem negotiating the stairs, and I find the same human that had ‘examined’ me, but there is no Dominic or the tall one.

“Morning, Matthew,” the one who I believe is called Tom said. “Guess you’ll be with us another day.”

I look at him, unsure as to how I should react, since I have only ever communicated with Dominic. The one called Tom looks at me, then said.

“Chris had to go out last night, so he can’t take you to the cops, and Dominic has an early shift. You hungry, there’s bacon and waffles, if you want some.”

I look at him again, this time I must look puzzled as he stands and places something on what I now know is called a plate, and puts it on the table.

“Sit,” he said and I do. 

So, this is what had enticed me. I see that Tom has picked up one of the things on a plate, and I do the same,placing it in my mouth, and immediately spit it out... I did not like it.

“Not a lover of bacon, huh?” Tom said.

Bacon, comes from a life-form known as a pig. I am shocked, humans eat other life forms, that is horrific.

“I not eat this,” I vocalise.

Tom nods and takes the plate away and replaces it with another...was this what he had called a waffle. I bite into it and the sensation is beyond wonderful...this is not bacon, this I will eat. I am finding that more and more this body and myself are becoming one, and it frightens me, because I am aware of the consequences.

“I like this,” I say to Tom and he smiles at me, and I return the smile.

I sit and watch Tom as he moves around, and I find that I do not mind this humans company. Is this what is called a friend? He talks to me and although I understand the language, I do not always understand the meaning. There is still so much to learn.

I am left alone as Tom goes outside to fetch what he calls ‘firewood’ , so I wander back to the thing that I now know is called a fish tank. But then my attention is caught by something that I do find familiar...terminals.

***************************

Dominic had gotten up only two hours after returning to bed. He looked over at the still sleeping Matthew, and he blushed when the memory of what he’d heard earlier came back to him. He hurried out of the bedroom and had a colder than normal shower and dressed for work.

He found a note pinned to the refrigerator door by Chris.

“Been called out, something about some military and government types with their knickers in a twist about those lights in the sky.”

He drove to work and walked onto the ward that he was working on this week, and was greeted by the other nurses.

“Yeah, apparently there’s soldiers and guys in radiation suits and what my brother calls ‘men in black’ all over Cooper’s Grove. He reckons they’re looking for aliens.”

Dominic blinked, it was Cooper’s Grove where the man had stepped out in front of him...no, don’t be daft, he thought.

“Too Hollywood for me,” he said.

They all laughed and went to work. But it still kept bothering him, how Matthew had suddenly appeared and didn’t seem to know where he was, and was acting very strangely; and those eyes, they were really unusual.

“Don’t be daft,” he said out loud, yet he found himself calling the house.

“Matthew, he’s fine,” Tom said. “Doesn’t like bacon, I mean really doesn’t like bacon. He does however like waffles and maple syrup. Hey, don’t do that...sorry, gotta go.”

The last words Dominic heard were ‘fingers don’t go in power sockets.’. You’re just being paranoid, Matthew isn’t an alien. He didn’t think about it after that and went back to work.

****************************

“So, what’s the panic?” Chris asked.

“Not sure, I heard the spooks have lost some top secret piece of equipment.”

“And they need us for what?”

“They say it was attached to some military scientist at the time. Those lights in the sky was his plane going down. They need us to help search the surrounding properties.”

Chris nodded, he knew that the locals wouldn’t take too kindly to government types and soldiers tramping all over their land.

“So, we’re looking for an injured spook scientist, carrying some top secret spook device?”

“Looks that way.”

Chris nodded, best not to ask, just to do.

***********************

I study the terminals, they are portable,but as I run my fingers over them I realise that they are not powerful enough for my requirements. What I need is more power,so I look round and my sensors, no my eyes find a power source. I am reaching for it when Tom’s voice tells me that I should not.

He says something about electricity and shock, but I do not understand, as I would have created a power regulator to stop a power surge. When it is time I will adjust the terminal from receivers of data to transmitters of data, then my task will be done, and after that I do not know what will happen.

I am startled by a sudden noise, but Tom is not, so I am not concerned. He opens what I now know is called a front door, and I hear new voices. I am curious as to what other humans look like, so I move towards the door.

I see two human males, one is in what is called a uniform, and the other is not. I hesitate, there is something about the human that is dressed in all black that makes me cautious, and I move back.

“And who is this?” the man in black asks.

“That’s my cousin. He’s staying here while he’s on vacation.”

I do not know why Tom said that I am part of his family, when I am not..oh, is this what is called a lie. Why has Tom lied?

The two men go away, but Tom does not look happy.

“Bloody Big Brother,” he says and looks at me.

I voice my dislike, “I do not like the man in black.”

Tom laughs, “He’s no Tommy Lee Jones.”

I do not yet understand humour, but I smile anyway. I watch Tom as he resumes the task he had started, and as I do my programme automatically scans the communications that float in the atmosphere. 

I do not take much notice, until my security system activates...the humans, they have the capsule. Why had it not disassembled once I had left it? I focus on that one stream of communication, they know that the capsule had contained this body, and they had initiated a search. Then those men were searching for me.

Logic told me that I should activate my defensive programme,as no doubt if they find me they will disassemble me. 

It would not have mattered if they had found me when I had first stepped out of the capsule, I would have destroyed myself with the virus that was designed for such a purpose. 

But I am not as I once was....I am......

I am disturbed from my internal thoughts by the arrival of Dominic, and the dopamine level in this body increases, and I find that I am happy to see him. I do not know why I am happy to see him...perhaps when the sub-routine is complete, I will know.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Danger is lurking...but something is about to go very wrong.......

“I’ve been thinking about our ET.”

“Oh yes, what about it?”

“Well, we know it’s bipedal. But what if its not just bipedal, what if its not alien looking?”

“Explain.”

“What are the chances that the atmosphere and conditions on their planet are exactly like ours?”

“Pretty low.”

“I’m thinking that by now someone would have spotted either an alien or someone walking around in a some kind of suit.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“If they have the technology to build and send a capsule from god knows how far away, then it stands to reason that they could clone or grow a body.”

“Oh come on, you’re talking abductions and extracting human DNA.”

“Why not, you’ve seen the files, and the inside of the capsule looks way too much like it was designed for a human.”

“Okay, but you can phone the Pentagon and tell them that our ET looks human.”

**************************

Dominic noticed how happy Matthew was to seen him, and he had to admit that he was happy to see him. He wasn’t sure why, but there was something about this strange man.Tom was telling him about the ranger and what he called ‘a spook’ that had called.

“Said they were looking for a missing nerd and some classified equipment.”

“Well I doubt he or it was in our barn.”

“I reckon they were really looking for aliens.”

Dominic laughed, “Anyway, I’m starved. Who’s for pasta”

*********************

Although I am happy to see Dominic, I am disturbed by the visit of the ‘man in black’. My pre-programmed data tells me that these men in black are a danger to me; I am after all not the first sentient life to attempt a study of humans. The Mainframe had downloaded data from other sentient life forms that had strayed into the Mainframe’s matrix. The Programmer had told me that there had been a long and protracted debate amongst the higher programmes as to whether what was now in motion should even be attempted.

I have no desire to be disassembled, nor end up as what humans call a ‘lab rat’, but I must complete my mission, no matter the ending, good or bad. I had traversed the internet again and had found many theories as to who and what the men in black were, even found what were known as ‘dark files’ and those did frighten me, but as I have already said, I must complete my mission, before the sub-routine is completed.

In accordance with said mission, I must find out what is making that delicious aroma.

*****************

Dominic looked over when Matthew appeared at his shoulder, “You like pasta?”

Matthew looked at him, and once again those eyes seemed full of curiosity, and seemed to take on that unique shade of blue once more.

“Here, try it,” he said, taking a fork and putting a piece of the ricotta and spinach filled pasta shell on it. He blew on it, which caused Matthew to tilt his head, like he was asking ‘why?’

“It’ll be too hot,” he said. “Don’t want to burn yourself.”

He held it to Matthew’s lips and he smiled when after chewing Matthew's eyes widened.

“I like pasta.”

Dominic had to find out if Matthew was suffering from some kind of amnesia.

“Matthew, do you know why you like pasta?”

Again, it looked like Matthew didn’t comprehend or understand the question, but he pressed on.

“Did someone cook pasta for you...your family...a loved one?”

“Family?”

Dominic felt a twinge of sadness....did Matthew have any family? Was he touching on a uncomfortable subject? Matthew answered the question for him.

“Oh...family...I have many connections.”

Dominic wasn’t sure what to make of that, but there was no time to ask further, as one, the pasta was ready, and two Chris breezed in, and the conversation took a decidedly weird twist.

“Yeah, got us searching every barn, outdoor space, hell even some houses. They really want to find this scientist and whatever he was carrying.”

“I tell you, they’re looking for aliens,” Tom said. “I been on-line, and the word is that something crashed or landed, but it wasn’t no plane. They say the military are looking for hostile aliens.”

Chris laughed, “Oh come on, if I was an alien, why would I chose the middle of nowhere to start an invasion.”

“Not an invasion, reconnaissance,” Tom replied.

“Not all sentient life is hostile,” Matthew suddenly said, and they all looked at him.

“What?” Tom said.

Matthew blinked then blushed slightly before saying, “I mean, why would all aliens be like War of the Worlds or Predator. They could be like Vulcans or ET.”

Chris suddenly laughed, “Oh my god, he’s a sci-fi geek...nice one there. Had us going for a minute.”

Matthew frowned.

“He means you were so serious, we thought you were the alien the spooks are supposedly looking for.”

Matthew smiled and nodded.

“Anyway, enough about crazy X-Files scripts that were never written. Chris, are you taking Matthew to the cop-shop tomorrow?” Dominic said. “I think he must be missing from somewhere.”

Chris nodded, “Sure, I have to go that way to help with the search. If he’s missing from somewhere, they’ll know.”

*****************

I admonish myself for my miscalculation of words, I cannot yet reveal to these humans what I really am, not until my mission is complete and the sub-routine has completed. Tomorrow the tall one called Chris is taking me to a place where I will no doubt be able to gather more data. 

As I sit at the table an odd feeling passes through me, but it is not a pleasurable one.

“You okay there Matthew?” Tom asks.

“He looks a little flushed,” Dominic said.

The one called Tom brings over the box that I so wanted to examine and presses something against my skin.

“Hmm, his temperature is up slightly. Probably getting a cold from being out there bare-arsed naked. Maybe leave the cops for a day or two Chris. You, Matthew are going straight to bed, with plenty of water and paracetamol.”

I do not object, my own diagnostic check tells me that there is something wrong, but I do not know what. But this body does seem to require rest and soon I am resting and sleeping.

I wake suddenly and I feel decidedly ‘unwell’. I voice my discomfort, which garners Dominic’s attention. I see his face, but my vision is hazy.

“Matthew?”

“Dominic...I do not......”

Suddenly I feel a surge of energy through my circuits...no, the sub-routine, it is malfunctioning. I hear Dominic’s voice, but it is faint, and I cannot warn him to move away, as I know what is going to happen. I feel the first spark and then my circuits are burning.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something happens...but is it accidental or intentional?

Dominic had been as startled as the others when Matthew had uttered two sentences that actually made sense; so he wasn’t mentally impaired. But it was forgotten when he started to look flushed and whatever virus he’d caught seemed to take hold quickly.

He couldn’t get Matthew to take the paracetamol, Matthew had just looked at them, so he let him sleep. He went back downstairs and sat around watching TV and talking with Chris and Tom. He retired to bed....well the camp bed, and Matthew was still asleep .

He took his temperature, it was a little raised, but not worryingly so, but Matthew did need to take fluids.

“Matthew?” he said, but after trying several times to wake him and failing, he left the water by the bed, and left him to sleep.

He was woken by Matthew letting out a groan, that didn’t sound good. He got up and had just put the light on when Matthew said.

“Dominic...I...”

“Tom!” he yelled as he moved closer. He laid his hand on Matthew's forehead...Christ, he was burning up.

Tom burst in with Chris just a step behind him.

“He’s burning up, help me get him into the bath!”

“Let me, I’ll get the shower going,” Chris said and scooped Matthew up.

“Dom, get all of the frozen stuff and ice we have,” Tom said.

They heard a shout from Chris, “Hurry the fuck up...the water’s doing shit!”

The both raced down the stairs and almost pulled the fridge-freezer over in their haste. They grabbed everything in the freezer and sprinted up the stairs, then dumped everything in the now half-filled bath.

“We don’t cool him down,” Tom said as he tried to hold a bag of frozen food to the back of Matthew’s neck and check his pulse with the other.

“Dom, get my kit...come on Matthew.”

Dominic ran into Tom’s room, grabbed his med-kit and hurried back.

Tom snatched up his stethoscope and placed it against Matthew’s chest, “No...don’t you even dare.”

Matthew had been shivering but suddenly stilled. Tom put the stethoscope against his chest again.

“Fuck...get him out!”

It took a few seconds for Dominic to realise what Tom was doing..then his medical training kicked in, helping Tom with the CPR. It seemed like an eternity with Tom stopping every so many compressions to put his ear to Matthew’s chest.

“Come on...come on,” he said and continued.

Only Chris jumped when there was an audible crack, as one of Matthew’s ribs broke. Tom stopped, but this time didn’t start again.

“Stop Dom,” he said.

Dominic looked at him and shook his head.

“Dominic...he’s gone.”

“No, we have to keep trying.”

“Dominic, I could keep going, but if another rib breaks it could pierce a lung, or fragment and puncture a kidney or his liver or his heart. We tried, but there comes a time where you have to stop, you know that. Chris can you call the police, tell them they need the ME as well.”

Dominic sat back, “I can’t believe it.”

None of them had the opportunity to dwell on it as it didn’t take long for the police and the ME to arrive. Matthew’s body was covered and taken away and they tried their best to answer the police’s questions.

“They’re taking him to the county morgue, but the ME says he can’t do an autopsy until the morning. The police have taken his fingerprints, just in case he’s in the system somewhere. I sorry Dom, I liked him too, even though we know nothing about him.”

Dominic nodded, but Tom’s words didn’t help...poor Matthew; would there be anyone but three strangers that would miss him?

********************

“There we are, I know it’s not five star, but I sure you’re not that bothered,” the ME said “ Well, goodnight, young man,” he said and closed the door.

 

***********************

I register on the periphery of my senses that the humans are trying to help me. I am unable to communicate with them, to tell them to stop and move way, I do not wish them to be hurt. I count the heartbeats of this body like they are a countdown to what is to come; it falters...then slows..then ceases and I cease as the last of my circuits spark and burn.

Cold was the first thing that I feel...wait, feel? How can I feel when I have ceased to operate. The cold beneath my skin...my skin? Not this body, but my skin. Then another sensation...no feeling overwhelms me, as I see that I am inside some kind of metal box....I panic. I sense more than see a way out and reach for it. I am unsure of how I escaped from the metal box, but there is a bent piece of metal at my feet.

I find myself in an unfamiliar place, yet I instantly do not like it. I look round but cannot determine where this place is, as my logic seems to be malfunctioning....no, it is not malfunctioning; it is no longer there. 

I try to access my data-store and frown when the information is not retrieved instantly, the malfunction of the sub-routine may not have caused me to cease, but I think it has done something else, but I cannot run a self-diagnostic to confirm it....so I must make what the humans call an ‘educated guess.’

This body did not combust, and something unprecedented has happened; somehow my sentient self and the part of this body called the brain have merged.

I am now Matthew, but I am also me.

I almost fall over as the synapses in my newly created brain all fire at once, causing a pain that I have never felt in my short life..no, this is not how a human brain function and I eventually gain control and the pain ceases and the synapses begin to settle and start to work in conjunction with my circuits.

As I stand in this unfamiliar place it becomes clear what I am now....I am neither human nor a programme....I am a new form of life.


	7. Chapter 7

I am still confused, but then I suppose becoming a new species can be like that. I am relieved when I am finally able to access my data-store, but it is not as it was, there is a small lag between a request and compliance; no doubt the synapses have to fire before the can connect to my circuits. My curiosity returns as I wish to know where I am.

There is an odour, but I do not know what it is, as I am still confused as to what I have become. I do recognise certain objects, they look like surgical equipment, but this does not look like the images of operating theatres that my data-store shows me.

I finally see a terminal and sit in front of it. I touch the screen and it powers up, at least I have retained my ability to control electronic devices. But the first image that appears on the screen perturbs me...this is a morgue, a place where humans are disassembled after they cease...no die.

Is that what happened to me? Did I die? It did not feel like I ceased to operate. I had observed programmes as they ceased to function, but it was nothing to be afraid of; all programmes eventually reached the end of their cycle. 

Death is something only experienced by organics, and it is something they fear...it is something that I now fear. But still I must complete my mission, even though it is now more complicated. Downloading from organics is risky, even when there is the power of the Mainframe to assist, still I must persist, despite the risk.

I must leave this place, it is a sad place.....oh, these things called emotions, they are strange yet wondrous. I wonder what the Programmer and the Mainframe will make of them; it has never experienced anything human, they are so unique.

Now I wonder if the Programmer knew this, were humans a part of whatever the Programmer and the higher programmes were designing? I was not privy to such data, all I know is that it will not involve me. When I first arrived I knew what was going to happen, but now the random nature of the universe had altered the logical path, and things were now at the mercy of chaos and chance.

I must not dwell on such things, I must find a terminal powerful enough to transmit my data to the receptacle. Time is not on my side and the window that would allow the receptacle to pass into the next galaxy is small. I will have only one attempt and if I miss it, then all the data I have gathered will be wasted.

I turn my attention back to the terminal and I watch as images and information fly across the screen. I stop it when I see what I require....yes, that would be more than adequate, with the right power boost and it would be able to place the receptacle in the right position. But its location is many miles from here, I would require transport, and the only place I know of that I could obtain transport is the house that Dominic lives in.  
Yes, I shall go back to Dominic’s and confide in him about who I am and my mission. Then I shall ask him to transport me to this place.

*******************************

Dominic still couldn’t believe that Matthew had died. How could something as simple as a cold kill someone? He didn’t know anything about the strange man that he’d narrowly avoided running over...and Matthew had indeed been strange,. But the thing that had stayed with him were those eyes, they were a shade of blue he’d never seen, and he swore at times they seemed luminous.

He sighed; it didn’t matter any more...Matthew, if that was his real name would be just another nameless body going under the M.E’s knife. He was saddened by it, saddened that he wouldn’t know why he died, and saddened that if he had family out there, they wouldn’t know that he had died.

He was alone in the house as the others were working, and he busied himself with mundane tasks. He was a little creeped out after a news item on the local radio said that someone had broken into the county morgue a couple of hours ago and stolen a body...Christ there were some weird people in the world.

Eventually he became too tired to stay up and went to bed, the house suddenly feeling very large and very empty, as did his room. Although Matthew had only shared his room for one night, he missed the company, missed that almost childlike innocence and curiosity.

He was woken from his sleep by a noise downstairs; it must been one of the others. He closed his eyes, the opened them suddenly when he heard what sounded like glass breaking. He looked over at the clock, it was only 2am, so it couldn’t be Tom or Chris...bloody hell, was it a burglar?

He carefully got up and crept into Chris room and grabbed the baseball bat they kept for ‘protection’. He slowly went down the stairs, then stopped at the bottom, listening out for any more noises, and there was; it was coming from the kitchen. He crept towards the kitchen door and stopped, there was a strange glow coming from the slightly ajar door.

Tightening his grip on the bat, he advanced and with a loud yell kicked the door open, then it all went to hell in a hand basket.

The would be burglar had his back to the door, the odd glow was coming from in front of him. The burglar jumped and whirled round, and something resembling the flashes you get from a Tesla Machine seemed to shoot from his hands, and the last thing Dominic saw before his world turned electric blue was the surprised face of a dead man.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Matthew reveals to Dominic what he is...then it all goes to hell.

“No mistake, it’s the same radiation signature.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes sir. Whatever came out of that capsule was here, and was inside that drawer.”

“So, it was dead.”

“The main word being was, that door was kicked open and off, not pulled or wrenched. It’s very much alive and very strong, judging by the state of that door.”

Both men, one in a military uniform turned as the ME entered.

“I still can’t believe that someone would steal a body, and one of our service men as well.Says here he was tagged as a Matthew, but no last name. He was brought in after a 911 call, but was already deceased.”

“Do you have an address?”

“Yes,” the ME said and wrote it down.

“Thank you....we’ll get out of your way. You can be sure that whoever stole his body will be caught and punished and he will be reunited with his family.”

As the pair walked out of the morgue, the man in the uniform was talking on his phone.

“Yes, lock it down. If you have to shoot, shoot to wound.”

************************

I did not mean to hurt Dominic, but he startled me, and whatever survival instincts I now have must have kicked in. But I was not expecting it to be of an electrical kind.

“Dominic,” I say as I kneel down next to him. I lay my head on his chest, he is still breathing.

I move away when he lets out a gasp and sits up, his hand going to his chest. Then he looks at me, and I am not sure what that look is on his face. But I do recognise what is in his voice when he speaks......fear.

“How can you, you’re dead...are you a ghost?”

“I am not a spirit, I am very much alive.”

“No, no, you died. You wouldn’t be human if you could come back from the dead.”

I must do something to prove that I am alive. There is only one thing I can do and that is to show him who I really am, even though I fear Dominic’s reaction. So I channel that energy again, but this time it wreathes me in electric blue.

“Dominic, I am alive because I am not human.”

The blue glow shows me Dominic’s face and what I see is not a look of fear. I tense as he moves closer instead of moving away. I flinch away when he reaches out, afraid that I will hurt him again.

“Please, I need to touch...need to see if you’re real.”

I hold myself still, even though every part of me wants to move away. When his hand touches my cheek a shiver runs through me and I do not want to move away.

“You’re really real...you say you’re not human...then what are you?”

“Dominic...I, this is what I was.”

I raise a hand and above myself and Dominic an image appears of my home galaxy. I watch Dominic’s face as I move my hands again and the image changes to that of my home world.

I see that Dominic is watching with a look of wonder and my heart flutters slightly as the Mainframe comes into focus.

“This is my home, it is called the Mainframe.”

“It looks likes the inside of a computer,” Dominic said as he watches streaks of coloured light flash across the Mainframe.

“I suppose that is what it is to you....I...we are sentient programmes. I am...was a hundred thousandth generation programme.”

Dominic reaches out and touches the image and the colours dance across his hand.

“It’s beautiful, what colour were you?”

“I was blue...there, that colour blue,” I say and the image zooms in further and I see myself as I once was, and once again my heart flutters...oh how I miss the Mainframe. I let the image fade and look at Dominic.

“You are not afraid...why?”

“Why, you haven’t done me any harm....well except for the zap.”

“I am sorry.”

“Doesn’t matter, but you look human.”

I blink as I try to find a way to explain the process.

“We are a curious species, always wanting to learn, but we knew nothing of the life outside the Mainframe. When we were a five hundredth generation a vessel crashed into us, there was much damage and many programmes ceased to exist. But there was organic life inside the vessel, but it was on the verge of ceasing to exist. So the Programmer downloaded the data from the organic life’s mind, and the Programmer and the higher programmes realised that we were not alone in this universe. We encountered many forms of organic life over the generations....then one of our data gathering satellites encountered a vessel that had a life form that we had never encountered before on board, and here I am, doing what I was brought into existence for, gathering data.”

I was confused when Dominic suddenly said, “You said you were a hundredth thousand generation programme.”

“This body was grown using organic material from the life form, but it was only to be a temporary vessel, whilst I gathered data. Once I had completed my task, the data was to be transmitted back to the mainframe, and this body would cease to exist, as would I.”

I saw the expression on Dominic’s face change; he looked sad.

“You would have died.”

“I was just a programme, and all programmes cease. But something has happened that I cannot explain. The sub-routine that should have eventually caused me to cease malfunctioned, and now I am something different and Dominic...I do not wish to cease.”

Dominic reached out again and touched my face, and that shiver ran through me again.

“Matthew, I can’t even comprehend what you are or what you were. But if I were to guess, I think that you have become the thing you were sent to study. I think you are becoming or have become human.”

We were both startled by the kitchen door bursting open and men in uniforms were pointing weapons at us. Then a man dressed in a black suit appeared and beckons to Dominic.

“Mister Howard, move away from it...slowly and carefully.”

Dominic shakes his head.  
“Mister Howard, that is a highly dangerous alien life form...step away.”

Again Dominic shakes his head.

The man in black looks at one of the uniformed men and he grabs Dominic and begins to pull him away. I suddenly feel something that I have not felt before...I feel anger, and the energy inside begins to build, until I hear it crackle like lightning.

The soldiers and the man in black focus their attention on me and I say, “Let him go.”

The man in black raises his weapon and I let the energy go. I hear the startled cries of pain from the humans, but I do not stop until only Dominic is standing.

“We must go,” I say and walk out of the room and I sense that Dominic is following. I also sense that there are more soldiers and men in black outside, and I feel the energy and my anger build again...and this time I go on the attack.


	9. Chapter 9

Dominic really wanted to shut his eyes, in the hope that when he opened them that this would just be one weird dream. A dream that Matthew had stepped out of the forest...that Matthew had died and comeback from the dead. 

That Matthew was an alien and was currently cutting a swathe through the U.S military.

Except it wasn’t a dream, it was very, very real, and he was following a very much alive Matthew, who was cutting a swathe through very real soldiers.

Electric blue was sparking and crackling from Matthew’s hands, and soldiers were falling without firing a shot. He could feel the static in the air and it seemed to be surrounding him, as a soldier tried to grab him and was thrown back.

Matthew only stopped when the soldiers began to retreat.

“They are re-grouping outside. Dominic, we must leave this building, but I cannot defend you against them for much longer, so I must....”

Matthew stopped talking for just a beat, then continued. “When I open the door and step forward, you must close your eyes and hold your hands against your ears. Do not remove them until I touch you. Is that understood?”

Dominic could only nod, he was so out of his depth that he needed a submarine. He felt the static increase again and Matthew stepped forward, and as soon as he saw the door open and Matthew step through it, he shut his eyes tightly and held his hands to his ears.

He could still hear the sound and it was vibrating his whole body and he could still see a flash of light, even behind closed eyes, but he didn’t open them nor lessen the pressure on his ears, but whatever was happening must have been awful for those that had no warning.

The noise suddenly stopped and he jumped when felt a touch his shoulder. 

He cautiously opened his eyes and then took his hands away from his ears. Matthew was facing him, the last remnants of that energy fading from his body.

“Dominic, it is safe...for now.”

He could see that Matthew looked exhausted and he had to catch him as he fell forwards.

“We must go,” he said and Dominic just nodded. He grabbed his phone and his wallet and the keys to his car.

He helped Matthew out of the house, only to stop when he saw the soldiers; some were on the ground, blood trickling from their ears or holding their hands to them, looking around blindly.

“Matthew, what have you done?”

“Only temporary...will not last long. Just enough for us to escape....go now.”

He half-carried Matthew to the car, trying to ignore the stricken soldiers, and as he drove along the dirt road that led to the main road, he could see more stricken soldiers and several of what Tom had called ‘men in black’. What had Matthew done, and how powerful was he? 

He would have laughed at the absurdity of such a question if the evidence wasn’t in front of his eyes.......Matthew was as alien as you could get....hell, his natural form wasn’t even flesh and bones.

This was way too much for him, he couldn’t cope with it; he would need help from his friends.

“Dominic....we must go.”

He looked over at Matthew, who now had his eyes closed and he looked paler than he’d been only a few minutes ago. He turned onto the road and headed for the place he would find one of his friends; he headed for the hospital.

*************************

By nature the Mainframe is not aggressive, not that we cannot defend ourselves, if required. But it was never done in what I now know is anger. But I am no longer part of the Mainframe, and what I am doing now is being done in anger. I have had trouble with these things called emotions, but it seems anger is not one of them.

I am angry because the soldiers and the man in black are trying to stop me completing my mission. But what angers me the most is that they are trying to take Dominic from my side, and I do not want that.

The soldiers suddenly withdraw, but I sense that it has now become more dangerous; especially for Dominic. I cannot protect him as well outside as I can in this building, and I feel that the energy I have is rapidly depleting. 

The part of me that is still a programme reels out a statistic and a solution.

So I gather the remaining energy, give instructions to Dominic, who complies and step outside. The burst of energy is short but effective, but now I am weak and need to rest and I suppose re-charge. I feel Dominic’s hands on my body and once again I find the sensation pleasing. Once inside his car, I close my eyes and begin shutting down.

**************************

Dominic pulled into the hospital and found a space as out of the way as possible. He looked over at Matthew, and his concern grew again. Matthew hadn’t stirred at all...this was definitely beyond sleeping and his pallor hadn’t improved.

He desperately wanted to take Matthew to ER but he knew that a CT or a simple X-ray could expose Matthew, so he called Tom. He only relaxed when he saw Tom approaching, his medical kit in hand.

“Dominic, what’s going....bloody hell!” he exclaimed and stepped back.

“Please, Tom, get in the car. I’ll explain later,” he said and to Tom’s credit he got in the car and Dominic exited the car park just as several police cars and military vehicles entered at the other end.

“Dom, what’s going on...why are there police and soldiers and why is there a dead man in your car?”

“Tom, where is Chris working tonight?” he asked, ignoring Tom’s question for now.

Tom looked at him with wide-eyed disbelief.

“He’s on poacher watch up at Sears Point...the ranger’s cabin.”

“Good,” Dominic said and turned the car in the direction of the forest and Sears Point.

“Dominic...”

“I promise I’ll explain when we get to Chris.”

Chris reacted in the same way as Tom, but Dominic wanted Tom to examine Matthew.

“Not until you explain,” Tom said.

“Yeah, explain Dom,” Chris said. “Like Tom said, why is there a dead man in my cabin?”

Dominic took a deep breath, and hoping that he got the right reaction, he said.

“Matthew isn’t dead, because he’s an alien.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Tom and Chris know that Matthew is an alien...it's about to become very dangerous.

“Excuse me, did you just say he’s an alien?” Chris said.

Dominic nodded as he covered Matthew with a blanket.

“But he looks human, he a body snatcher?” Tom said.

“What?” Dominic replied.

“You know, a pod person.”

Dominic narrowed his eyes, “For Christ sake Tom, this isn’t a bloody movie. He’s a living breathing person, and I think there’s something wrong with him. So, be a doctor and take a look at him, please.”

Tom seemed to be debating with himself.

“Well, he did seem human when I examined him the last time. He’s not going to suddenly grow tentacles and suck my brains out, is he?”

The got him a smack to the head from Chris, who seemed to have accepted the fact that Matthew was an alien.

“Just take a look,” he said.

Tom gave him a ‘yes sir’ look but started examining Matthew.

“Well, his heart rate and breathing are a little slow, but I don’t know if that’s normal for whatever his is. I think and it’s only a guess, since I’m working in the dark here, he’s just exhausted. I’m assuming that sleep...if his species sleeps, is all that’s needed. So, Dom, those soldiers, they must be after you and him.”

“His name is Matthew,” Dominic said, “And yes, they’re after us...well Matthew.”

“Told you they weren’t looking for some government nerd,” Tom said as he re-checked Matthew's pulse.

“That at the fact that he took out a shed load of soldiers and some of those ‘ men in black’ back at our house. They stormed the place and he went all super-hero on their arses.... I’m pretty certain it was to protect me,” he added quickly, when he saw the looks on his friends faces.

“So, they must think he looks human too,” Chris said, taking a step towards the still sleeping Matthew. “But how can he look human...how could he act human?”

Dominic wasn’t quite sure how he was going to explain what Matthew had shown him, so he said.

“ The Matrix.”

Tom and Chris looked at him.

“Matthew’s world is like the Matrix, but he called it the Mainframe. He showed me, it’s one huge computer I guess, and Matthew is or was a programme. But their sentient...it’s a world full of sentient programmes.”

“You mean he’s an honest to god AI?” Tom said, his voice had taken on a excited edge.

“I guess.”

“Then they must have somehow gotten hold of human DNA and grown a body and stuck him in it. This is..wow, the guys in my UFO group are going to freak!” Tom exclaimed.

“No, you can’t tell them!” Dominic said sharply.

“Why, this is huge...as in world-changing huge. If those MIB’s get hold of him, they’ll bury him so deep, no-one will ever know he was here.”

“What, and your lot won’t splash him across the web, it’ll be chaos,” Dominic replied.

“The world has a right to know...”Tom started to say, but he was cut off by another voice.

“No, Thomas, this world is not yet advanced enough for first contact.”

All three turned and Matthew was sitting up, looking a lot healthier than when Chris had carried him into the cabin. Tom spoke again.

“But you have, with Dom, then us.”

Matthew shook his head, “No, I had not revealed myself to you then...our encounter was not intentional. It was as you humans put it, accidental. My interaction with the dominant species on this planet was to be minimal.”

“Are you here as part of an invasion?” Tom said, earning him a glare from Dominic.

Dominic thought he saw a tinge of sadness cross Matthew’s face.

“We are not an aggressive species, my purpose is to gather data and transmit it to the Mainframe. To which, I must go.”

Matthew stood and moved towards the door, but was stopped by Chris.

“There are people looking for you, it’s not safe.”

Matthew smiled then. “I am aware of these people. But no matter the danger, I must transmit my data. It does not matter what happens after that is done...they may disassemble me, if that is what they wish to do.”

Chris blinked, “Disassemble...you mean dissect.”

Matthew nodded, “No doubt they will find me interesting...but I will not care, I will have ceased to operate.”

Dominic moved right up to him and said, “You wouldn’t care if you died?”

Dominic saw that same sadness cross his face.

“I am still a programme, despite the unexpected changes, and all programmes cease to function. I care not for myself, but....”

He stopped then and seemed to gather his thoughts, “I must go, I must get to the terminal I need to transmit my data.”

“Terminal?” Tom said, “As in computer?”

Matthew shook his head, “No, this.”

He raised his hand and Dominic and Chris stepped back when an image appeared in front of Matthew. Tom narrowed his eyes and looked closer at it.

“That’s HAARP... but that’s just a research station.”

“No, Thomas, the data from something called ‘the dark files’ says it is a long range interstellar scanning device. It has the power required to upload my data and transmit it to the Mainframe. I was intending to use one of your satellites, but this is more accurate and reduces the time it will take for the data to reach the Mainframe.”

“Tom, what’s he on about,” Dominic said.

“HAARP, High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program, built by BAE for research into improving radio communications and surveillance for the military. Supposedly shut down and is just a University research base now. But ask any conspiracy theorist and they’ll say that’s bullshit. People say it’s been used for everything from creating tsunami’s to bringing down one of the space shuttles.”

“There are file on such things, but I have not uploaded them into my data-stores, they are not relevant to my purpose, but I must go.....the rift between your galaxy and mine will only be open for a short while. I will not ask you to accompany me, all I require is a vehicle.”

Dominic shook his head, “No, I won’t let you go alone.”

“No Dominic, I will not endanger your existence, not any of your existences.”

“No, I’m going with you, like it or not,” Dominic said.

“And I’m not letting Dominic go on his own, this is beyond any stupid conspiracy crap,” Tom said.

“And I’m not letting to the two of you go off with an alien and try and break into some top secret military base. So, like or not, my alien friend, we are coming with you.”

*******************

I awoke from my recharging, only to find I am in the company of not just Dominic, but his two friends as well, and it sounds like they are disagreeing on something. My speaking silences them, and I am surprised but pleased that Dominic’s friends do not find the fact that I am not from their world a threat.

I tell them what I must do to complete my mission and that I do not wish them to accompany me, as I do not want them to be harmed. But I find I cannot dissuade them, and now I have three travelling companions. I am concerned for their safety and I do not know if I can protect them , but I find that although I care about the safety of Thomas and Christopher, I do not have the same level of fear about their safety as I have for Dominic. I do not know why this should be so, but it is there.

I cannot think on this now, as time is not on my side and if I cannot gain entrance to this place Thomas called HAARP, then my separation from the Mainframe and the light years that I had to travel, and my unexpected evolution will be for nothing.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically Matthew's POV....and the changes are speeding up.

“Amazing, his internal structure must be incredible. Can you imagine the application if we can replicate it.”

“But he’s dangerous.”

The two scientists were watching footage of the alien’s attack on the soldiers.

“Agreed, but the effects were only temporary. I don’t doubt that he could kill, but I think he was trying to get away. We’d better find a way to contain and neutralise him.”

“Do you think they’ll be able to bring him in alive?”

“If they can.”

“And what if they don’t?”

“Then we’ll being doing an autopsy on an extraterrestrial.”  
*****************************

I remember the exact micro-second that I came into existence, knowing exactly what my function was. It all seems so far removed from what I am now; I am no longer sure what my function is or what I am.

I know I am no longer just a programme, but neither am I just a human, but I sense that I am still changing, but into what I still do not know. I am also unsure of what will occur after I have downloaded my data into the transmitter. In fact I do not know if I will reach the transmitter. It did not matter if I did not. The Mainframe will assume that my mission has failed and would send another.

But for now, there is still data to collect, and where I am standing now is fascinating.

I know that Dominic told me to stay in the place where we were seated, but I could not. Something had caught my attention, and I was now staring at it....what was this thing? I reach out to touch one of the lights that are flashing.

“You need a bowl, mister,” a voice said.

I look round and then down, it was a human child. I must have looked puzzled because the child picked up what must be a bowl and placed it under the flashing light and pressed it.

“What is that?” I ask when something coloured comes out from the thing and into the bowl.

The child looks at me, then says, “It’s ice cream....chocolate flavour.”

Again I must look puzzled, so the child takes another bowl and fills it with ice-cream and puts things on top. The child hands me what I know is called a spoon...oh, you eat it, it is food. I take a spoonful and put it in my mouth, and my eyes widen in surprise....it is cold, yet it taste wonderful!

“Ice cream,” the child said before walking away with their own bowl.

I am about to take another spoonful when Dominic appears and drags me back to where we are sitting, and if I am reading his expression correctly, he is angry and worried.

“What were you doing?” he is said in a loud whisper.

“Ice cream,” I say and finally take another mouthful of the cold goodness.

“You went to get ice-cream. There’s probably the whole of the army and probably the whole of Area 51 looking for you...ice cream.”

“Taste good,” I said and take another spoonful...and stop, this ice cream is having a strange effect on this body and I vocalise it, and whatever the effect is, it seem to be affecting Dominic, who is looking at me, his eyes have widened and I see that his pupils have dilated and there is perspiration on his brow.

“You want to try?” I ask.

Dominic blinks and then clears his throat, “No, thank you,” he says and looks away.

Whatever this effect was is forgotten as Tom and Chris return, telling Dominic that they have managed to get some rooms, but only two.

“Me and Tom can share and you and ET there can bunk together,” Tom said.

I am forced to leave the ice cream and go to the room. But Dominic is not happy.

“A double bed, are you kidding me?”

I do not understand why Dominic is annoyed; it is only a place for re-energising. I watch as Dominic enters the bathroom and I busy myself with processing the data about the ice cream, and the odd reaction of this body...well, my body now. I look up when Dominic comes out of the bathroom, he is wearing only a towel...and there it is again, that strange reaction, but Dominic is not ice cream.

I watch as he moves about and find the reaction is growing stronger. I search my data store as to what this reaction is. I hesitate when it gives me an answer......I am attracted to Dominic.....he is desirable to the human side....no, I find him desirable.

The skin on my face heats up.....the urge to procreate with Dominic is almost overwhelming. I cannot let this happen, so I rush into the bathroom and lean against the door.

The rush of hormones and chemicals make me dizzy; it is happening too fast. The need to get to the transmitter is more urgent than ever, as I realise what is happening.....Dominic is right....I am becoming human.


	12. Chapter 12

I take in and let out several deep breaths, trying to gain control of what is now my body. But the flood of chemicals and hormones do not make it easy. This is distracting me from completing my mission. Why did this malfunction have to happen? It had been so simple...gather data...transmit data...sub-routine causes fatal cascade...I cease to function.

Dominic’s voice disrupts my thoughts.

“Matthew, are you okay?”

I take in and release another breath before speaking.

“I am fine, I will take a shower.”

“Oh, okay.”

I am shocked at how easily I displayed one of the less desirable human traits...I had lied. Then I felt the other part of lying, the guilt. So many human feelings and reactions. This change is happening too rapidly and it concerns me. What if I become fully human before I reach the transmitter? Will I lose the power that I now possess and be unable to protect Dominic and the others?

As I shower I come to what I consider is the most logical solution. I re-enter the room and Dominic is already in the bed. I am unsure of what to do, as he had been unhappy with sharing.

“Why are you standing there, get in,” Dominic said.

I do as he asks and Dominic turns out the light, and the darkness seems to ease the tension.

“Dominic?” I say.

“Yes?”

“You, Thomas and Christopher should return to your home.”

The light was turned back on and Dominic sat up; he turned and looked at me.

“Why?”

“I do not want harm to befall any of you.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“But it is a logical action, it is myself that they pursue.”

“Logic has nothing to do with it. You need our help.”

“Why do you help me? I am not human.”

“But you’re not alien either, I don’t know what you are. But I know you are a friend, and I don’t know about other species out there, but here on earth we don’t abandon a friend when they need help, and wow that sounded weird...other species.”

These words inexplicably warm me, but I will not let them deter me.

“I cannot allow it.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

For a brief moment my logical side and the human side clash over what I now have to do, but my logical side wins.

“Then I am sorry for what I must do now.”

I reach out a touch Dominic’s skin and release a small part of my energy and as he falls backwards I catch him and lower him to the pillow. I place a hand against his cheek and sigh.

“I am sorry, Dominic, but I cannot allow harm to come to you or you’re friends. I do not yet understand what friend means, but I understand enough that it would sadden me if you were injured or ceased to function. So I will complete my mission on my own, as it should be.”

I quickly dress and leave the room and make my way out of the hotel and into the car park. I am searching for Dominic’s vehicle when my vision in obscured by light and the sound of an engine fills my ears. I look up as that is where the sound and light are coming from, but I cannot see...then I feel pain and I shut down.

*************************

Dominic let out a groan and shifted, he was certain the bed wasn’t that hard when he’d gotten into it. In fact, it didn’t feel like a bed at all. He opened his eyes and immediately shut them, as the light was way too bright. He jumped when a voice said.

“Good, you’re finally awake, Mister Howard.”

Dominic opened his eyes and sat up; he was definitely not in the hotel room. He looked in the direction that the voice had come from and saw a man in what he supposed was a General’s uniform, along with one of the ‘men in black’ and a couple of armed soldiers, standing outside what was clearly a cell, albeit there were no bars, just glass or plastic.

“I apologise for your accommodation, but you are in quarantine for the moment.”

Dominic blinked, his head was fuzzy, what had happened, and where were Tom and Chris and especially where was Matthew.

“Where are my friends and where is Matthew?”

“Your friends are also in quarantine, and how interesting, it gave itself a name. As to where it is, is none of your concern.”

Dominic didn’t like the sound of that, but he was certain it wasn’t good. He was no doubt in some top secret military base, but that wasn’t his main concern.

“What have you done with him?”

“That’s classified, it is somewhere secure.”

Now he was getting angry at the man.

“Stop calling him an it, he’s...”

The man put his hand up and Dominic stopped. “You think it’s human, it is an Extraterrestrial Biological Life Form, and is a threat to this planet. It will be treated as such and will remain so. Once you and your friends have been cleared, you are free to go.”

“You can’t do that, he has rights!”

“ It isn’t human, it has no rights. What it is, is the property of the United State Military.”

The man turned on his heels and walked away, followed by the man in black.

“You bastards, you don’t have the bloody right?” he yelled, but he knew it was falling on deaf ears. He sank back onto the hard cot and said. “I’m sorry, Matthew.”

********************

“Are you seeing what I am.”

“It look likes the circuitry is melded with the organic parts. Not just the brain, but the entire body.”

“So what is it, a cyborg?”

“I don’t know, we’ll have to ask it when it comes round or switches back on.”

“It does look remarkably human...what do the tissue samples tests show?”

“It’s human flesh.”

“So, they can clone humans, which means they must have been in contact with humans before. They must have abducted someone and cloned them.”

“Or used some sort of technology to graft the circuitry onto a host.”

The two men jumped when a voice said.

“The Mainframe does not abduct and experiment on organics.”

It took the two men a few moments to recover, but the scientists in them, forever curious soon adjusted.

The alien was now standing right up against the glass partition, so very human eyes looking at them.

“So how did you clone a human?”

“The human was aboard a vessel that crashed into the Mainframe. It was a species we had not encountered before, and we were curious as to what they were. Sadly the human aboard ceased to function because of injuries due to the collision, but we grew this body from cells recovered. It is a replica of the human....his name was Matthew and I am Matthew. Why am I in this place?”

One of the scientists spoke, “We want to know all about you, study you.”

“You wish to access my data stores?”

The scientists looked at each other.

“I guess.”

“I cannot allow that, it is for the Programmer alone.”

“Oh you will, even if we have to rip you apart to find it,” an new voice said.


	13. Chapter 13

My eyes snap open and I instinctively know that this place, wherever or whatever it is, is not a good place. I sit up and look round, there are no doors that I can see, but a large window. I see two humans standing outside, but they are not looking at me. I walk towards the window and I find that I can hear what they are saying, and it disturbs me. I vocalise this, which gains their attention and I learn that they wish to gain access to my data-store, I cannot allow that.

Then another human appears and this one I take an instant dislike to, and I am right to do so, as he introduces me to pain.

I dare not move because it causes every nerve ending to contract and every connection to vibrate, which causes intense pain. I know from my forays onto the internet that humans are capable of terrible acts of cruelty, but I had not expected to be a victim of such acts...such ignorance and inhumanity, and for the first time I question why the Mainframe would want to learn anything from this species. I sense the presence of a human and I try to move, despite the pain, another thing I have never experienced driving me...fear.

But I cannot escape this room and I know that I will cease to exist in this nameless place.

The human is speaking to me, but my senses are so scrambled that I find it hard to understand.....do I want to understand?

“I’m sorry that they did this to you, it isn’t right. They’re military, not scientists. They can only see you as a threat, not the wonder we scientist think you are.”

I am finally able to do something other than cower and I look up; it is one of the humans that I had talked to.

“I cannot give them my data-store,” I say, startled by how faint and small my voice sounds.

“They will keep hurting you until you do.”

"I cannot.”

“Why, it would stop the pain.”

“My data store is for the higher programmes only.”

I do not know if this human will understand, but he says.

“So, you are some kind of cybernetic life-form.”

I do not understand this word and I am not minded to want to understand. I feel anger starting to build again, along with that energy. But my body has too much pain to go on the offensive, so I will bide my time and when I am able they will not cause me any more pain. While I cannot move, the side of me that is still a programme tries to connect with the internet, but instead I find I have connected with whatever system serves this place.

There is much data within in and I add it to my data-store, but the data does not improve my now jaded view of the human species; the things that are here in this place. I discover that they had taken Dominic and his friends which makes my anger start to rise, but they had not been harmed and had been released, but it did not cool my anger, once again Dominic had been put in harm’s way.

I make a decision that has nothing to do with logic, but on what my human side is telling me....this place will soon no longer exist.

**************************

Dominic blinked at the sunlight as his blindfold was removed. The first thing he saw clearly was the house, then he saw Chris and Tom, both having their blindfolds removed.

 "Gentlemen,” someone said and  he turn and see one of those ‘men in black.’

“It would be wise to keep this to yourselves, or you may find your lives become very difficult.”

Dominic could only watch as the man climbed back into the van and then drove away. He looked over at Chris and Tom.

“Are you both okay?”

They nod, unable to process for the moment what had occurred, they had been taken from their beds whilst they slept and like Dominic had woken up in what they had been told was ‘quarantine.’

“But what about Matthew?” Tom said.

Dominic’s heart sank and his stomach clenched at what they might be doing to him. “I guess we have to do as they say, what can we do? Who would believe is if we told anyone anyway?”

“It’s not right,” Chris said.

“Bloody military,” Tom said.

They went silent after that and eventually went into the house, suddenly exhausted and needing sleep that Dominic was pretty certain he wouldn’t be getting. If it wasn’t for the fact that Chris and Tom had been present, he would have felt like this was some weird and skewed dream and that he would wake up any moment now. But he hadn’t and it wasn’t a dream. His whole life had been turned a dizzying 360, his whole perception of what the universe was like had been shattered by a pair of luminous blue eyes and an alien that couldn’t be less alien and more human if he tried.

He drifted off into sleep only to be woken by the incessant buzzing of his phone....someone was texting him; who the hell would be texting him at, he looked at the time on the phone.....it was three am. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand to clear them of the fuzziness of sleep, then they widened when he read the text.

_Dominic.....I have need of your assistance. I will be at this place..._

A picture was under the words and Dominic recognised it. More words appeared.

_Do not be afraid when you see what has occurred....it was a necessity. Be swift as time is not with me._

He jumped when his bedroom door opened and Tom rushed in, followed by Chris.

“Did you just get.....!?” Dominic nodded.

“Me too,” said Chris. “But you need to see this.”

Chris handed over his tablet and it was showing what looked like a live broadcast.

_“No-one is yet certain as to what caused the explosion or the devastating fire that followed. The emergencies services are struggling to contain the fire that has now spread over a large area of the surrounding forest. The building that was destroyed in the explosion was not in use, but until the surrounding fires are put out, the fire service and the police can’t get to the building to see if there were any people that may have been sleeping rough inside it......”_

Dominic handed the tablet back to Chris.

“It must have been Matthew...you said he had some sort of weird energy,” Chris said.

“I don’t care,” Tom said. “Those bastard probably did something to deserve it. Dom, come on, we have to go. You saw his message...we have to go and help him.”


	14. Chapter 14

It had been a simple task to access the system that ran the place that I was incarcerated in. I easily overrode its by my standards crude safeguards, its firewalls and anti-viral programmes no match from my own system. I placed my own virus, one that would spread throughout it and beyond to whatever system it was connected to, and burn away all of the data that they had collected on me already...all without triggering an alarm, of course.

Then I instructed it to set the in-built self-destruct in motion, that would destroy this place, how convenient; it would mean that I would not have expend energy that I needed for other things. But I could not bring myself to harm the humans that had not done me any harm, so I set another programme in motion.

However, those that had caused me pain would not escape. I am surprised at how the human side of me is now affecting me; it seems vengeance is something that humans do very well.

I knew from the system that they would be within this place soon, to no doubt continue to try and extract my data. So I wait and when the fire alarm goes off and the door to my prison opened and the door to the place that the people who had caused me pain locked, I walked out.

None of the humans seemed to notice that their prize was walking with them to freedom. I only stop once I have gone far enough not to be noticed. I see that all the humans that I wished no harm to had escaped and were moving out of harms way.

For the first time since I put my plan into motion I feel the results of what those humans did to me. Some of my connections between my programme and my human side have been damaged, and I was unsure if I could repair them. Also the incisions from the surgery they had done to access my circuitry had not yet healed; they would heal, but I did not know what internal damage had been done to the human side, since some of my sensors had been destroyed, but the pain told me it was substantial.

A wave of another new emotion went through me....hate. Hate for the humans that had damaged me, hate for those that had given the instruction to do so. But they were far away in a place called the Pentagon.

I did not have the time to exact my new found sense of vengeance upon them, perhaps I would after I had completed my mission. I started moving again, and as I did I felt the rumble of the explosion underground and a part of me felt a sense of satisfaction.

I thought no more about it, my only goal now being to get to the transmitter and send my data to the Mainframe. I do not know how far I walked, my internal odometer had been damaged and I was still yet to grasp the concept of miles and kilometres.  
I find myself in a place that my data-store tells me is a bar. I cannot walk to my destination, I require transport...of course, Dominic. I access the communications network and find the numbers that I require. I know I should inquire as to his and the others welfare, but I find I am not inclined to, my mission now being more important.

I send the messages and I then stand and wait; not even the noise coming from the bar attracting my attention, and I am fine with that.

*********************

“Dom, you know if we get caught again, we’re going to disappear,” Chris said.

“I think they’ve kinda busy, what with one of their uber-secret bases being blown up by what I’m guessing is one very pissed off ET,” Tom said.

Dominic didn’t reply, but he knew that something very bad must have happened for Matthew to have struck out like that, and it frightened him, the power he must possess, to be able to destroy a whole base. He didn’t want to think about the fact that he might have murdered the people inside; he didn’t even know if murder was a concept that Matthew even understood.

He heard Tom snort, then say, “The biggest bloody thing outside of there actually being a God and they brand him as a criminal. Now every gun-happy cop and idiot will have him in the sights.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“They’re calling it arson and have given a pretty good description of our little alien friend,” Chris said.

It took another hour to get to the place that Matthew had told them he was waiting at.

“There!” Tom said and pointed towards a line of trash containers.

Matthew was standing, no leaning against one of them. He pulled up and opened the passenger door. He couldn’t help noticing that Matthew climbed in very gingerly.

“Matthew, are you okay?”

“We must go,” was Matthew’s reply, and Dominic couldn’t help notice the coldness in his voice.

Matthew reached out and placed a hand against the Sat-Nav, which Dominic noticed was trembling slightly.

“I have uploaded the most direct route, it will cut the journey time by twenty percent.”

“Matthew, why did you destroy that place?”

Matthew’s reply chilled the trio to the bone.

“Because I could.”

They looked at each other; it was a chilling reminder that although Matthew looked and acted human, he most definitely wasn’t.


	15. Chapter 15

“Are you telling me that our EBE, that should have been incapacitated, managed to hack into our most sophisticated system and has erased thousands of files, then introduced a virus that is spreading, and we can’t stop it. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it also triggered a self-destruct program and destroyed a multi-billion dollar base. Then you tell me that three of our personnel are probably dead, and our EBE has escaped.”

“It was caught on one of the outer perimeter cameras sir . We’re not sure where it is going. But it was injured due to invasive surgery.”

“I want it hunted down, and if it dies, it dies. We can take it apart dead or alive.”

***********************

I keep contact with the system, to ensure that the virus is effective, and it is. It is spreading, no matter what the humans do, and soon it will spread and infect other systems and it pleases me. I am distracted from my observations when Dominic’s vehicle starts to decelerate. I look at Dominic and ask.

“Why are decelerating? You need to maintain a steady speed of fifty kilometres per hour to reach the destination in time for me to transmit my data.”

But the vehicle continues to decelerate, then ceases to move.

“Dominic, continue,” I say.

Dominic does not do so and I feel my anger rising.

“Dominic, continue,” I repeat.

“No, Matthew,” he replies.

I feel anger rising and with it that energy building.

“Continue, or I will...”

“Or you’ll what, hurt us like you did those people in that base?”

“I hurt no-one that is innocent,” I said.

Then Dominic asked me a question that I was not sure I understood.

“Matthew, have you killed someone, murdered them?”

Murder is not a word that I have heard before, so I access my data stores and I am shocked...is that what I am? But they damaged me beyond my ability to repair, and I may yet cease to function. Have they not murdered me? Was it not what the humans call justice? How can I make Dominic understand?

**************************

Dominic kept glancing over at Matthew as he drove; something was different about Matthew. He glanced in the rear-view mirror and he could see that Chris and Tom looked worried; they had noticed too.

Matthew had been silent since those chilling words. What had happened inside that base? He had to know.

He started to slow the car and of course Matthew noticed. He looked over at him and questioned it. He slowed the car further and then pulled over and stopped.

“Dominic, continue,” Matthew had said, and it sounded like an order...then, did he actually threaten to hurt them.

“You’ll what, hurt us like you did the people in that base?”

He wasn’t expecting the answer he got.

“I hurt no-one that is innocent.”

Dominic heard Chris and Tom take in a breath. Had Matthew hurt or even worse killed someone, committed murder? So he asked the question.

Matthew didn’t reply straight away, did he even understand the concept of murder? He studied Matthew’s face, and the angry look was replaced by....was that confusion.

“They damaged me, Dominic,” he finally said.

Damaged, did he mean injure him?

“Did they hurt you, Matthew?”

Matthew nodded and proceeded to pull up the green scrub top he was wearing.

Dominic let out a small gasp and he heard Tom and Chris do the same. There were two long lines of non-to-neat stitches, that ran from the top of the scrub pants and finished just below the neck line of the top; they were weeping and looked very angry.

“They wanted to access my data stores. I felt much pain.”

Dominic swallowed back the bile that was rising, they had cut Matthew open without anaesthetic.

“Matthew?”

“I am damaged,” he said, but his voice was weak, then he passed out.

The three friends looked at each other.

“I need to examine him, but not in this car. And I think a hospital is out of the question” Tom said.

Dominic looked at Chris, and they both said.

“Morgan.”

*******************************

“Seriously, a vet?” Tom said.

“Yeah, and he’s a vet with an operating theatre and was a surgeon before his wife got sick and he retrained because it was better hours,” Dominic said.

“But there wont be any human anaesthetics.”

 

“Tom, does it look like we have any other choice. At least he can clean those bloody sutures, those bastard have done fuck knows what to him,” Dominic said as they pulled up to a large building.

The conversation ceased when a set of headlights filled the otherwise darkened car park. Dominic squinted as the headlight momentarily blinded him, then he and Chris got out of the car.

“Dom, Chris, what’s the emergency and can’t you use your local vet,” Morgan said.

“Morgan, can I trust you?” Dominic asked.

Morgan frowned, puzzled by the question.

“You know you bloody.......” his voice trailing off when he saw another man helping an unconscious man out of the car.

“Dom...what’s going on?”

He frowned again when he saw blood on the front of the unconscious man’s top.

“Morgan...we need your help,” Dominic said.


	16. Chapter 16

I had never felt pain; it was something the Mainframe did not suffer, not even when the vessel had crashed into us. I do not like this feeling, and if this is what it means to be whatever it is that I am, I would rather return to be just a programme. It had taken all of my energy to walk out of the place where such pain and damage had been inflicted on me, and now I can hardly stand as I wait for Dominic.

My insides hurt from the humans cutting into me, and my sensory circuits are sparking, which sends waves of pain through every join between my circuits and my organic self Once again I feel anger, anger at what those ignorant humans have done to me. My anger is joined by another feeling, the need for revenge.

I had felt a sense of what I now know is satisfaction, after I had sent the virus into their inferior systems, knowing that as I stood here it was destroying everything that it touched, and there was no way that they could stop it…but it does not feel like it is enough.

I access my data store, although it forces me to use more of the little energy I have left. There are many other systems out there like the one I am corrupting, but they are not connected. Then a thought, one that seems to come from my organic brain comes to the fore, and I smile…yes, that is what I would do…oh, this organic side of me is very devious and very good at planning revenge.

My thoughts stop when I hear a vehicle approaching, and I know it is Dominic, I recognise the sound of its engine. Dominic asks me questions that I do not want to answer, and the pain makes my answers short and full of anger. I see that they are shocked when they see the damage that has been done to me.

“I am damaged,” I said, but the effort of speaking and the pain are too much and I give into the darkness that is calling me.

*****************************  
“You know, this could get me into some serious shit. I don’t practice human medicine anymore,” Morgan said, as he watched Chris lay the unconscious man on the examination table.

“I sorry, but we can’t take him to a hospital.”

“Why, is he a criminal?”

“No!” Dominic, Chris and Tom said in unison.

“He’s our friend, and I know you’re going to say this is insane, but we can’t take him to a hospital, because he’s not human,” Dominic said.

Morgan looked at him like he was insane.

“Right.”

“Please, I know it sounds crazy, but he is,” Tom said.

“He’s not from this planet, and our ‘government’ wanted to dissect him,” Chris added.

Morgan looked at the trio in front of him and frowned, “You’re serious.”

It was then that the man on the table let out a pain-filled moan, and alien or not Morgan couldn’t let someone in pain go untreated.

“Alright,” he said and moved over to the man and lifted the now bloody scrub top. He sucked in a deep breath.

“Who the fuck did this butcher job.”

“As Chris said, our government…well the part we the people don’t know about,” Tom said.

Morgan still didn’t believe a word, but there was an injured person to treat, “I’m going to have to remove those sutures. Dom, you know the basics of surgery?”

Dominic nodded.

“Good…you two, help me take him to my operating theatre, then wait outside. Please.”

Dominic nodded towards the others to reassure them and after helping move Matthew, they left. Only then did Morgan turn to him and say as he pulled on a pair of gloves.

“The truth, Dom. Is he really not human or is he a wanted criminal?”

“He’s not human.”

He looked into Dominic’s eyes, searching for a grain of a lie, but there was none…the man lying on his table wasn’t human…. man? Could he call the figure lying there a man?

Another pain-filled moan told him that even if he wasn’t human, he felt pain and he was not in the business of leaving man nor beast in pain. He worked quietly and efficiently as he removed the sutures.... the blood on his gloves was red, like a human; the angry red flesh felt and looked human, and the jagged edges were no different to what he had seen on those he had treated in his days of being a surgeon. The man, for want of another word, looked human, bled like a human.

“He’ll be out for a while yet. Well, I’m guessing he will, never anaesthetised an alien before. Help me move him to recovery, we can lay him on a bunch of the heated pads I use in the cages.”

It takes a few minutes of all four of them playing an odd game of musical heat pads to move him, but finally the patient is settled and left to sleep off the anaesthetic.

“So,” Morgan said as they sat drinking coffee. “Care to explain.”

He listened with rising disconcertion and perhaps a little bit of wonder as Dominic explained what had happened in a few short weeks. He glanced over at the still sleeping figure…Matthew as he appeared to be called. It still seemed like some weird science fiction film…Matthew was part of a sentient computer that existed lightyears from Earth, but wasn’t anymore, after he’d died and come back to life.

Eventually they all grew too tired to talk anymore and sleep was the important thing. Matthew was still sleeping, but according to Morgan it wasn’t a drug induced one and sleep, alien or not was the best cure.

Everything was quiet in the recovery room until they were startled awake by every piece of electronic equipment blowing and Matthew standing, wrapped in electric blue energy.


End file.
